The Return of Ganondork
by Brianna Shinra
Summary: A year has passed since the events in Ocrarina of Time. When strange things start happening in Hyrule, the gang must join forces again to defeat an old foe...but can they win against his new powers?
1. Chapter 1 Mysterious Happenings

**The Return of Ganondork**

**Chapter One**

It was a depressingly gloomy day at the castle. The princess of Hyrule couldn't help but let her thoughts wonder as she stared out the window into a small courtyard sprinkled with yellow flowers. She wasn't surprised that her thoughts had wondered back to him again: her best friend and love that she had met on the very steps she was over looking. She almost envied him at the moment. He was checking up on the temples while she was stuck under a heap of papers to sign almost as big as Death Mountain. Requests, proclamations, laws needing to be approved, laws needing to be withdrawn because they were outdated…the list went on.

"Too many sheets of parchment for my liking." She grumbled. But responsibility was in the job description and she accepted it. Her coronation was in a few months when she turned nineteen. She would have to get used to handling it all.

Sighing, Zelda set down her quill, got up out of the chair, and stretched a little. Why he couldn't leave the temples alone lately was anyone's guess. Most of the monsters terrorizing the country had died along with Ganondorf, their creator. But there was always the stubborn few that remained and managed to stir things up a bit here or there.

Memories of moments at this window with him flooded through her and she had to struggle to suppress them before they stole the last of her concentration.

"Link," she laughed to herself "when they ask why the papers are not finished yet, I am going to blame you."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, bringing an uncomfortable feeling to her attention. She was really worried about him. He hadn't told her which temple he'd be going to or when he'd be back. He usually did both without asking. The excuse that he had just forgotten belied his exceptional memory or knack for noticing and retaining detail.

A very loud clap of thunder boomed as it started to rain heavily. The princess straightened herself and started back towards the chair. But before she could sit down something odd struck her. All she could hear was the rain. There was no clanking of armor, no maidservants scurrying about to dust, sweep, or change bedding.

No chatting about the sudden change of weather.

Zelda slowly walked from behind her writing desk and over the door, trying to make as little sound as possible. Upon opening the door, she was stunned to see the complete lack of guards. Freedom and privacy were nice, but something like this was unheard of. Something was clearly wrong.

Warily, she walked out into the hallway, her footsteps echoing throughout it. About halfway down she stopped at the door to Impa's quarters and knocked.

Impa had been by her side for as long as she could remember. One of the last of the Sheikah, who were sworn to protect the Royal Family, she had taken care of Zelda from birth. She knocked again, finding it hard to believe that Impa would not be in her chambers at this time of day. She opened the door finally, only to find the large room empty. And so it continued for half an hour: Zelda knocking on various doors, then entering to find them vacant.

The entire castle was empty except for her. Frustrated and confused, she started for the stables. Thankfully the stables were full, but it brought another puzzling thought to mind. Just how had everyone left so quickly without her notice? Not coming up with any logical answers, she fetched her white stallion Kale and saddled him.

Not knowing what else to do, she started towards town. The Temple of Time would provide shelter from the pouring rain and, hopefully, guidance.


	2. Chapter 2 The Beginning of the End

**Chapter Two:**

The town, like the castle, was utterly devoid of life. Trees were dead, leaves rustled pleadingly on the ground, begging to be taken back onto their branches. Even birds were missing for the air as far as she could see. Seeing it all reminded her of when…she couldn't bear to think about it. He was gone now. She and the other six sages had sent him to the Sacred Realm. It probably was not so sacred anymore. Not after an entire year.

Rauru, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru…she hadn't seen any of them in months. Besides Impa, Sage of Shadow, she hadn't corresponded with any of the other sages in a very long time. All things considered now, she probably should have kept in touch better.

The temple stood out, a beacon of hope, the only thing that seemed unchanged. Light shone valiantly from the windows, keeping the shadows that had overrun the rest of the town at bay. She actually had begun to wonder if there was a way Ganondorf could have escaped, but it didn't seem possible.

Zelda had almost reached her destination when she saw a figure standing in the doorway of the temple. With her head cocked in confusion, she sped Kale up to a trot. In disbelief she hopped off her horse when he reached the steps and cautiously walked up to the man.

"Rauru!"

The stout elderly man merely nodded.

"The Goddesses must have been with you" he said solemnly. "I was fearful you wouldn't make it." He put a hand on her back and guided her inside the Temple of Time.

"Rauru, why are you…"she trailed off as she noticed something significantly wrong. Gasping, she rushed over to where the Door of Time should have been. The enormous stone slab had moved aside to reveal the chamber of the Master Sword. She had only seen this place once before…when Link had awakened from a seven year long sleep.

"We had agreed that the Master Sword should be returned to its pedestal" Zelda said quietly. "Rauru…why did he open it again?"

"It had to be taken out once again Zelda" Rauru explained in his deep voice, pausing for a minute to let the meaning sink in, then continuing. "When Link left town for the temples, he thought it best to bring it with him."

"You mean…he KNEW all this was going to happen!" she cried. "Why did he not say anything?"

"No! No. You are mistaken. He took it out only to clear the temples. The sages have been having problems with monsters again."

Zelda looked away, towards the pedestal, and let the events of the afternoon sink in.

"All the townspeople have vanished, haven't they?"

Rauru looked up, surprised at the question. "They are gone at the castle as well?"

The princess nodded absently.

"Rauru," she started, remembering the question she had wanted to ask upon entering. "What are you doing here, in Hyrule? Why aren't you in the Light Temple?"

The Sage of Light took a deep breathe.

"A short while ago, I just blacked out. I'm guessing I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was here…in the Temple of Time. I cannot get back. I have been barred from the temple and the Chamber of Sages."

The words fell heavily. Neither of them spoke for a while. Zelda continued to stare at the empty pedestal, as if it would return if she concentrated on it long enough.

He must have broken free somehow. That had to be it.

A rosy glow reflected off the gleaming marble floor and shook her from her meditative state. Her eyes, blue pools of complete calm, rose to meet a solitary window which framed the setting sun.

"Where is he?" she inquired softly.

Rauru's eyes were dark for a second, then cleared with understanding. He had been thinking about who could be responsible for the events as well.

"The Spirit Temple" his deep voice answered. "And…he told me to give you these if anything were to happen." At this last part he went to the door of the chamber and picked up something beside it. He returned with Link's bow and a quiver of light arrows. Zelda's wide eyes darted between the bow and quiver as she opened her mouth to speak…but no sound came out.

No sooner had she taken the items than a great boom came from the door of the Temple.

Both Sages looked at each other in panic. Rauru, acting quickly, grabbed Zelda's arm and pulled her towards the right side of the room. A door was a door there. She was positive it hadn't been there before.

"Quickly, out this way! Get to the front!" He spoke in a frantic whisper. "Get to your horse, but you cannot be seen. Ride hard…and don't look back." He pushed her hurridly out the door.

"Rauru! I can't leave y…" but he had already shoved the door shut.

Throwing the quiver over her shoulder, she did as Rauru told her and bolted. Soon after, she gasped and ground to a halt as she reached the front. Next to a pitch black warhorse lay her own stallion, writhing in agony on its side, with all four of its legs at unnatural angles.

"Goddesses…" she whispered, on the verge of tears. Sounds of a struggle were coming from inside.

She was out of time.

"I'm so sorry Kale" she told the miserable creature as she climbed onto the massive black stallion. He was reluctant to leave without his true master at first, but in the end he was obedient.

Zelda rode off as fast as she could, but could not resist glancing back when a sudden blast of light engulfed the Temple of Time, then faded into and inky blackness.

A million thoughts rushed in and out of her head, but she could not make sense of any of them. And suddenly, she felt very tired.

Darkness settled quickly on Hyrule's fields. The rosy glow that had earlier bathed the earth in a rich warm light had now faded to a cool settling shadow.

It was risky to ride at dark. It would be riskier to stop now.


	3. Chapter 3 Enter Gerudo

**Chapter Three:**

Hours later she arrived at the bridge and the sound of rushing water filled her ears. Crossing the bridge, she looked down into the swirling rapids that eventually ran into Lake Hylia. The Water Temple could be found there and most likely Ruto, the Sage of Water, as well. It got her thinking again. Had all the Zora vanished too?

The fortress rose up above her and blended in perfectly. Almost as if it was carved out of the cliff itself. Zelda had only been to the fortress once before, about five months ago: to sign a **_real_ **peace treaty with the Gerudo.

Upon entering, she immediately spotted Nabooru talking and gesturing to an intimidated guard on duty. Nabooru, whose back was towards her, must have noticed the guards eyes widen, for she turned around quickly. The sage's eyes grew large at the sight or the black charger, and then narrowed at the princess dismounting.

Zelda, not wasting any time, ran over to the leader of the desert tribe.

"Nabooru," she panted, trying to catch her breath "You must know why I'm here. You must have sensed it too."

Nabooru finally took her eyes from the horse, standing impatiently, and looked at Zelda. The moonlight provided adequate illumination in the desert.

The Sage of Spirit nodded grimly.

Finally, everything sunk in. Her people were missing, Rauru and Impa were…Goddesses only knew where, and Ganondorf Dragmire was back…she was riding his horse around.

_Too much for one day._ She thought. _When will I wake up?_

Suddenly, she felt quite nauseous. Last time, she had been able to survive because of her disguise, but now there were no more alter egos or secret identities. In the end, he had kept her alive only to lure Link. It had worked of course. She kicked herself inwardly. She wouldn't let that happen this time. She didn't think she could forget that look of absolute rage on his face when he had come in that door. But…she had helped Link in the final battle, and they had won. Surely Ganondorf would not make the same mistake twice.

He would kill her as soon as he found her.

"Is…" Zelda started, shaking the thought off. "Is Link still at the Spirit Temple?"

Nabooru first looked at the gate, leading to the Colossus that the temple called home, then back to the princess.

"Yes. He went early this morning, but it's too dark for us to go now. It is hard enough to find the path in daylight."

"I have a way." Zelda replied simply, taking her harp from its bag around her waist.

She never left home without it now.

"Hold on" she instructed Nabooru, who put her hand on Zelda's shoulder apprehensively. Nabooru had seen Link warp before, but had never done so herself.

Zelda's hands moved over the strings and she began laying the Requiem of Spirit, plucking the notes softly, but clearly.

Both of the sages closed their eyes as a warm breeze, smelling of the desert at dawn, played over them. When they opened their eyes they were both standing on the Spirit Emblem.

"Nice trick." Smiled Nabooru as she took her hand off of Zelda's shoulder and turned to face the temple that towered over both of them.


End file.
